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Wednesday, July 17, 2013

Vatican
City, 17 July 2013 (VIS) – Pope Francis has sent a special message
to Catholics across Britain and Ireland, ahead of the annual Day for
Life, which was held in Scotland on 28 May, and will be celebrated in
England and Wales next Sunday, 28 July. The theme of the event will
be ‘Care for Life – It’s Worth It’, taken from a homily
preached by Cardinal Bergoglio in 2005 during a Mass in honour of St.
Raymond Nonnatus, protector of expectant mothers.

On
that occasion, Pope Francis emphasised that “We must all care for
life, cherish life, with tenderness, warmth ... to give life is to
open our hearts, and to care for life is to give oneself in
tenderness and warmth for others, to have concern in our hearts for
others. Caring for life from the beginning to the end. What a simple
thing, what a beautiful thing... So, go forth and don’t be
discouraged. Care for life. It’s worth it.”

This
year’s Day for Life in England, Scotland, Wales and Ireland focuses
on care for unborn children and their mothers, the elderly, and those
who are suicidal and their families. The proceeds of the Day for Life
collection, to be held in parishes in England and Wales on 28 July,
will assist the work of the Anscombe Bioethics Centre and other
life-related activities supported by the Church.

The
full text of the Pope's message is given below:

“Calling
to mind the teaching of Saint Irenaeus that the glory of God is seen
in a living human being, the Holy Father encourages all of you to let
the light of that glory shine so brightly that everyone may come to
recognise the inestimable value of all human life. Even the weakest
and most vulnerable, the sick, the old, the unborn and the poor, are
masterpieces of God’s creation, made in his own image, destined to
live for ever, and deserving of the utmost reverence and respect. His
Holiness prays that the Day for Life will help to ensure that human
life always receives the protection that is its due, so that
'everything that breathes may praise the Lord'”.

Vatican
City, 17 July 2013 (VIS) – In a press conference held this morning
the director of the Holy See Press Office, Federico Lombardi S.J.,
presented information on Pope Francis' imminent apostolic visit to
Rio de Janeiro for the 28th World Youth Day. Fr. Lombardi reviewed
the Holy Father's programme for the week he will spend in Brazil,
explaining that this journey is “particularly significant in his
continent, and this naturally lends it a particular sense of
anticipation and participation”.

“As
we know”, Fr. Lombardi continued, “it was not his decision to
make his first trip to Latin America, but rather it was his
predecessor Benedict XVI who had confirmed that World Youth Day would
be held in Brazil, and had confirmed that 'the Pope' would be
present, as at all the World Youth Days, even though the Pope in this
case would not have been him. Therefore, Pope Francis is assuming the
legacy of Pope Benedict XVI's pontificate in making this trip. You
will recall that practically the same thing happened at the last
change of pontificate: Benedict XVI's first trip was to Germany, his
homeland, to Cologne for the World Youth Day decided by his
predecessor John Paul II”.

“The
trip had already been decided but the programme has also been
adapted, we might indeed say intensified and enriched with further
events with the change of pontificate. The plan that had been drawn
up for Pope Benedict XVI was less demanding, whereas with Pope
Francis, some elements have been added, such as the pilgrimage to
Aparecida, or the vist to the favelas, to the hospital, the meeting
with the Comite de Celam. There are elements which were not scheduled
in the first programme for the trip, intended for Pope Benedict XVI.
Pope Francis has maintained the same days – that is, the trip was
expected to take place from 22 to 29 July even before the change of
pontificate – but more events have been planned for this period,
especially the pilgrimage to Aparecida which will occupy a day that
had in the previous draft programme been intended as a day of rest”.

“Of
course, the Holy Father was invited by the bishops who organised and
promoted the World Youth Day”, added Fr. Lombardi: Orani Tempesti,
archbishop of Rio de Janeiro, and Cardinal Damasceno Assis, president
of the National Conference of Bishops of Brazil, and naturally also
by the president Dilma Rousseff, “who came to the Vatican “for
the inauguration of the pontificate and who met Francesco the
following day, explicitly inviting him to Brazil. The Pope confirmed
immediately, just a few days after his election, that he intended to
travel to Brazil for World Youth Day, and this helped to speed up
preparations”.

-
appointed Fr. Francis Duffy, of the clergy of Kilmore, Ireland, as
bishop of Ardagh and Clonmacnois (area 2,437, population 84,700,
Catholics 79,600, priests 72, religious 177), Ireland. The
bishop-elect was born in Bawnboy, Ireland in 1958 and was ordained a
priest in 1982. Following ordination he taught Irish history and
language at St. Patrick's College in Cavan, and in the diocesan
school of St. Felim in Ballinamore, where he went on to become head
teacher. He served as diocesan secretary and chancellor from 2008 to
2012. He currently assists in the parish of Laragh and in St.
Michael's Church, Clifferna, and is completing his doctorate in
Education. He succeeds Bishop Colm O'Reilly, whose resignation from
the same diocese the Holy Father accepted, upon having reached the
age limit.

-
accepted the resignation from the office of auxiliary of the
archdiocese of Manaus, Brazil, presented by Bishop Mario Pasqualotto,
P.I.M.E., upon having reached the age limit.